Banfield pets hospitals ban tail docking and ear cropping

The picture is of a Doberman Pinscher with tail and ears intact. No tail docking or ear cropping can add the natural beauty of this dog.

Banfield, The Pet Hospital, has announced it will no longer perform tail docking, ear cropping, or devocalization on dogs. Yeah! Yippee! Way to go! I have always considered these procedures cruel and inhumane and am glad to hear the nation’s largest veterinary practice, with more than 2,000 veterinarians in 730 hospitals, is taking the lead on halting these unnecessary surgeries.

I witnessed my first tail docking twenty years ago while working part-time as a vet tech. Young, naive, and with no clue yet about my future work in the animal welfare field, I watched with horror as a puppy, under general anesthesia, thank goodness, literally had its tail whacked off for aesthetic reasons. A large clamp like device cuts off the puppy’s tail about two inches from the body. The severed tail lay motionless on the table while the vet sutured up the wound. It seemed like we should be sewing the tail back on, not cutting it off. It didn’t make sense to me and I felt nauseated at the thought that I would have to witness more of these unnecessary surgeries while I worked there. (Apparently the procedure, done on mostly hunting dogs, got started when hunters wanted to protect the underside of a dog’s tail while pursuing prey in dense brush.)

Ear cropping though is even worse to watch. It involves cutting part of a dog’s floppy ear off, within days of birth, which is then bandaged and stinted to reshape the ear and encourage it to heal in an upright position. With so many blood vessels in the ears, this is a particularly bloody surgery and all I wanted the vet to do was stop the bleeding. The procedure, done mostly for cosmetic reasons, is performed on as many as 50 breeds, including — German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, and Boxers.

Devocalization, or de-barking, is a rare procedure, but one that is often done on a dog who incessantly barks. I have never seen this procedure done, but it apparently involves removing part or all of the dog’s vocal chords to keep it from barking. While there is no external sign of the surgery, it still continues to be a controversial procedure, and for good reason.

In a revised policy statement in 2008, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says,

“The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.”

This is policy and does not prevent any vet from performing the procedure. Of course, these procedures may be conducted if a dog injures his tail and it needs to be amputated or a dog is in a fight and loses part of the ear during the surgical repair. But the AVMA actually “encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.”

Those breed standards are set by the American Kennel Club (AKC) so naturally they disagree with this policy. As more vets, however, rally around banning these procedures, perhaps the AKC can also be “encouraged” to some day change their breed standards to ban these unnecessary procedures.

Cathy M. Rosenthal

8 Responses

For those who believe that it is no big deal because they are under general anesthesia then think of this:

If you need a root canal the dentist gives you local anesthesia, do you feel pain during the surgery? NO. Okay well when the anesthesia wears off do you feel pain or throbbing or swelling? YES!!!

THe only difference between animals and humans is that we cannot tolerate to feel pain so we take pain medication when we feel the pain. Are most of you that considerate to think that your pet is in pain for your amuesment? Probably not.

So if you feel that it is no big deal. Next time you have surgery [in or out patient or dental work] take the anesthesia and DEAL WITH THE PAIN, THROBBING, AND SWELLING!

I am so glad to hear about that Cathy! This is certainly a step in the right direction. The UKC has already allowed some dogs to compete in their natural state of glory (I believe Great Danes are one), so I hope the AKC realizes that times are changing and the general public sees no benefit from disfiguring their new puppy.

I am glad my girls both had their tails and ears intact. I could not imagine my Bailey’s fluffy beautiful wagging tail gone forever, for nothing more than an outdated standard.

Saying that they need their tails and ears cut to help them do a better job is nonsense. When they were breeding for a certain standard, why did they not breed for ear and tail setting as well? Certainly it has worked for other breeds with specialzed tails, like the Akita and Spitz dogs and their curly waggers. Why stop in the evolution process and take the lazy way out? If your dog needs a short tail to better work cattle, then get a dog that already has one. Try the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. They’ve been able to produce a fine cattle dog with a naturally bobbed tail. No modification necessary.

Bottom line is that there is no excuse for these disfiguring surgeries, and the sooner they stop the better.

I am a proud owner of a red heeler and she has a docked tail. I wish she was just born with a short tail but that isn’t the way it works. She is a cow dog therefore it is safer that she has a docked tail so that one of the cattle don’t step on it. It is also so that she can do her job better. If she had a long tail then that would be distracting to the cattle, making it harder to do the task at hand…or paw. Anyhow, I do agree that devocalization is unecessary. If your dog barks too much there is special training that can assist with your problem. If all else fails then I bet there is a better home out there for him/her.

Just in case I wasn’t clear, all procedures I mentioned are performed under general anesthesia. Even so, these are unnecessary surgeries and require time to heal. So why do it? These dogs are so much more beautiful in their original form.

Hear, Hear!!! Hurray for Banfield….I’m all for dogs keeping what God gave them. After seeing dogs with their natural ears and tails, I realized how much prettier they are. And, really, why have a dog that can’t bark. De-barking has to be one of the most cruel practices in the world! Now if that stuffy bunch at the AKC would only get their @@@@ together!!!

Oh my goodness. If they are under general anesthesia for tails, what is the big deal? Ears and vocals definitely seem more invasive.

About the Author

Cathy M. Rosenthal has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, communications and humane education in the animal welfare field. She has worked for local humane societies and national humane groups, appearing on hundreds of television and radio news and public affairs programs to address animal issues. She currently is a consultant for local and national animal welfare organizations, writing grants, annual reports and other marketing materials. She is also the author of several children's books about animals.